TSA Welcomes Hockey Sticks and Pocket Knives Back Onboard

The TSA is making some changes to their prohibited items list for flights – no, wait, don’t start swearing. It’s the good kind of change.

Well, good for very specific groups of people, anyway. Let me tell you, if you’re a fan of stick sports, it is your lucky day. Ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, billiards cues, and golf clubs can all be brought on board flights as of April 25th, provided they are in carry-on bags. But, golfers take note – you can only bring two clubs on board with you, so choose wisely. Maybe go ahead and make sure the sand wedge is one. Small novelty bats and toy bats (presumably souvenirs from baseball games) will also be allowed.

Small pocket knives can also now be brought onboard airplanes. Specifically, knives with non-locking blades smaller than 2.36 inches and less than a half inch wide can be brought with you. It’s not a big deal for those who usually store that kind of thing in their checked baggage, but it’s nice for those who like to travel light and rely on just carry-on bags.

The TSA is saying the changes were made so officials can focus more on finding things dangerous on a greater scale, like bombs. They’d also like to remind you that razor blades and box-cutters are still no-nos, as are baseball, softball, and cricket bats. Again, these changes will go into effect on April 25th of this year.

I’m all for easing up the rules and letting some items back into airplane cabins. But the fact that I’ll still be forced to check my carry-on because someone else decides to stuff the overhead with sports equipment is ludicrous. Quite honestly, I don’t even know where these people plan on putting these items, as overhead storage is always at a premium. For someone who travels several times a month for press trips, having to be concerned with someone packing a pocket knife or hitting me in the head with their golf clubs, as we depart the plane certainly puts a sour taste in mouth and is just another example of how out of touch with reality the TSA is.